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Each year our breast health nurses travel around New Zealand in our iconic Pink Caravan, to talk about mammograms, offer advice about checking your breasts, healthy lifestyles and family risk.
Our nurses have valuable advice about symptoms, treatments, support groups and post-surgery options. … View moreEach year our breast health nurses travel around New Zealand in our iconic Pink Caravan, to talk about mammograms, offer advice about checking your breasts, healthy lifestyles and family risk.
Our nurses have valuable advice about symptoms, treatments, support groups and post-surgery options. The breast care nurses have visual and hands-on displays of breast cancer symptoms that most haven’t seen before, and will use prosthetic breasts to show what a lump feels like.
Our breast nurses would love to have a chat to you so pop in and say hi. We’ll be at the locations below on the following dates:
Monday, 20 March 2023
SuperValue Lyttelton
17 London Street, Lyttelton 8082
Tuesday, 21 March 2023
Four Square Diamond Harbour (in the morning)
143 Marine Drive, Diamond Harbour 8971
Barrys Bay Traditional Cheese (in the afternoon)
5807 Christchurch Akaroa Road, 7582
Wednesday, 22 March 2023
The Gaiety Hall, Akaroa
104 Rue Jolie, Akaroa 7520
From reporter Steven Walton:
A $78 million government grant to improve Christchurch's “unreliable” bus service will only cover about one-third the project's total cost.
Local councils and Waka Kotahi will cover the remaining $160m to ensure buses arrive every 7.5 minutes on key… View moreFrom reporter Steven Walton:
A $78 million government grant to improve Christchurch's “unreliable” bus service will only cover about one-third the project's total cost.
Local councils and Waka Kotahi will cover the remaining $160m to ensure buses arrive every 7.5 minutes on key routes.
The Government money is coming out of the budget of the ditched $785m cycling and walking bridge planned for the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
A major revamp of the Christchurch bus network was first revealed in late 2020, but the time frame for the work was going to be about 12 years. The Government contribution, announced on Friday, would allow the revamp to happen within five to six years.
“This will offer people living in Christchurch regular and much more reliable bus services,” Transport Minister Michael Wood said.
Amongst the planned improvements are 100 extra buses, 22km of new bus lanes, and more than 470 new bus shelters. Some of the work has already begun, like adding bus lanes to Lincoln Rd.
The 100 new buses are being introduced despite recent struggles nationwide with a driver shortage. The shortage has caused thousands of bus trips being cancelled in Christchurch in recent months, frustrating commuters.
Wood said there had been “good progress” with the driver shortage in Christchurch. The shortage was now only 49 drivers, he said.
The 2020 business case for the city’s bus revamp said buses were unreliable and not as quick as taking a car.
It also estimated the revamp’s infrastructure (capital) work would cost about $115m, but Wood confirmed that number had now risen.
He said the revamp’s total cost would be $238m, but this figure also included the operational costs of running new buses and paying the new drivers. He was not able to say how much of the $238m cost was capital costs and how much was operational costs.
Of the $238m, the Government is covering $78m of it directly and the remaining $160m will be split between local councils and Waka Kotahi. Waka Kotahi and councils in Christchurch have already planned to spend millions on the revamp, but it is not clear how much each party will end up spending. Wood’s office has been asked to provide this detail.
Mayor Phil Mauger said it was great to be at the Government’s funding announcement on Friday, even though he voted against the revamp’s business case in 2020.
Asked if he would still vote against it, he said “probably not” because he had “learnt a lot more about how buses will make a difference [with reducing emissions]”.
Buses were a “good thing” that would help the climate change situation, he said.
Mauger said he also supported the 22km of new bus lanes, “as long as they’re in the right place”. Narrow roads should not be made narrower, he said.
“It’s all very well to have bus lanes everywhere, but if no-one else can get along [the road] everyone's going to get all snarly and upset.”
As part of the revamp, Christchurch’s main bus routes will have dedicated bus lanes with traffic lights that give buses priority.
The city’s main bus routes are Rangiora to Cashmere (#1), Airport to Sumner (#3), Rolleston to New Brighton (#5) and Halswell to Queenspark (#7). All of these services go into the central city and stop at the bus interchange.
The fifth main route is The Orbiter, which does a circular route.
The revamp aims to convert the main routes to “turn-up-and-go” services, where a bus would arrive every 7.5 minutes between 7am and 7pm on weekdays.
Presently, these routes only have a 10 or 15-minute frequency.
The business case for the revamp said 14 million trips were taken on Christchurch buses in 2018, and it hoped to increase this to 20 million by 2028.
Know the friendliest barista around? Does your mechanic always go the extra mile? Got a lawn-mowing legend? Hairdresser hero?
Give your favourite local business the recognition they deserve by nominating them in the 2023 Prospa Local Business Hero awards.
There's been hundreds of … View moreKnow the friendliest barista around? Does your mechanic always go the extra mile? Got a lawn-mowing legend? Hairdresser hero?
Give your favourite local business the recognition they deserve by nominating them in the 2023 Prospa Local Business Hero awards.
There's been hundreds of incredible entries already but don't forget to nominate your local this week. The recognition will make their day (and they're in with a chance to win a $10,000 package!).
Share a few words about your favourite local now.
Your home is your sanctuary, and that’s why Ryman villages are designed to be safe havens.
We’ve prepared for adverse events, so you don’t have to.
Your safety and your family’s peace of mind are our priority. Every Ryman village has staff available 24/7 and backup generators for … View moreYour home is your sanctuary, and that’s why Ryman villages are designed to be safe havens.
We’ve prepared for adverse events, so you don’t have to.
Your safety and your family’s peace of mind are our priority. Every Ryman village has staff available 24/7 and backup generators for emergencies. If something happens, you’re in safe hands.
We’ll take care of everything and make sure that you have what you need.
If you or a loved one are over 70, Ryman has a range of options from emergency accommodation through to townhouses or apartments available to purchase.
Internet is something we need these days for work, study, keeping in touch with loved ones or just to watch a movie! It's another bill to manage right?!
With the cost of living rising, we want to know how much your broadband bill is setting you back each month?
Every month, NZ Gardener runs a series of tested reader recipes using a seasonal crop. We are still on the hunt for amazing and inventive jerusalem artichoke recipes! Send your best ones to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz by March 26, 2023. Every published recipe wins a copy of the May issue of NZ … View moreEvery month, NZ Gardener runs a series of tested reader recipes using a seasonal crop. We are still on the hunt for amazing and inventive jerusalem artichoke recipes! Send your best ones to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz by March 26, 2023. Every published recipe wins a copy of the May issue of NZ Gardener.
If you want to have a say in the development of Christchurch then this is your chance. There are several ways to do this :
1. Go to the website www.greaterchristchurch.org.nz... and take part in the online survey huihuimai.nz...
2. Take part in one of the workshops. You can still register … View moreIf you want to have a say in the development of Christchurch then this is your chance. There are several ways to do this :
1. Go to the website www.greaterchristchurch.org.nz... and take part in the online survey huihuimai.nz...
2. Take part in one of the workshops. You can still register for the Rangiora session www.eventbrite.com...
MONTHLY AEA WEB EVENTS
The AEA Web Event is a monthly online meeting where AEA members from all over the world come together to share their experience, strength and hope. Three members speak for 10 minutes each, followed by member sharing.
The AEA Web Event is held on the 3rd Sunday of each month… View moreMONTHLY AEA WEB EVENTS
The AEA Web Event is a monthly online meeting where AEA members from all over the world come together to share their experience, strength and hope. Three members speak for 10 minutes each, followed by member sharing.
The AEA Web Event is held on the 3rd Sunday of each month which is this Sunday 19 March at 9.00am.
ALL NEWCOMERS WELCOME
We're all mostly familiar with Kate Sheppard's role in the women's suffrage movement (and her face on the $10 note) and you've likely heard of the bold, Jean Batten. But who else should not be forgotten? Tell us why!
Let's celebrate Women's History month as well as … View moreWe're all mostly familiar with Kate Sheppard's role in the women's suffrage movement (and her face on the $10 note) and you've likely heard of the bold, Jean Batten. But who else should not be forgotten? Tell us why!
Let's celebrate Women's History month as well as International Women's Day (this Wednesday) by sharing some of the lesser-known, inspiring women who've played a part in New Zealand's history.
Share your thoughts below for the We Say You Say column of the local paper - write NFP if you wish your comments to be excluded.
Bring out the best in your home.
Get 20% off Resene premium paints, stains, wallpapers and accessories, on now at Resene ColorShops!
Come in and visit your local Resene ColorShop for expert advice and great savings!
Since 1999, our residents and team members have raised more than $5.1 million for charities across New Zealand and Australia.
Supporting fellow pioneers isn’t new. It’s in our DNA. Learn more about becoming our charity partner for 2022/23.
From reporter Tina Law:
Excess water bills have been sent out to almost 4000 Christchurch residents, but the city council is now considering increasing how much water people can use before being stung with a charge.
The surprise move was made on Tuesday as the Christchurch City Council … View moreFrom reporter Tina Law:
Excess water bills have been sent out to almost 4000 Christchurch residents, but the city council is now considering increasing how much water people can use before being stung with a charge.
The surprise move was made on Tuesday as the Christchurch City Council agreed to put its draft budget, the annual plan, out for consultation. It has proposed a 5.68% average rates increase, down from a figure of 14.6% signalled late last year.
The average residential increase would be 5.79%. This would mean the average house (valued at $764,364) will have a rates increase of $3.52 per week or $183 a year, excluding any individual impact from the recent rating revaluation.
The council’s excess water charge, introduced in October following two lots of consultation, has been labelled as unfair by some residents, especially as almost a quarter (25,365) of Christchurch households share a meter and can not be charged.
Some councillors, including Sam MacDonald have never been in favour of the charge and on Tuesday, he asked the council to increase the daily allowance from 700 litres to 900 litres.
His bid was successful, but only just, with nine votes for and eight against.
The decision was made against staff advice and will be subject to public consultation as part of the draft budget, which comes out on March 10.
Under the existing rules, adopted last year, people are being charged a fixed rate of $1.35 for every 1000 litres they use over the 700-litre limit, which is the equivalent of 100 toilet flushes.
Bills have not been sent out for $25 or less, so people have to use more than 900 litres each day over 90 days to receive a bill under the current rule. Once a bill goes above $25, the householder is charged for all usage above 700 litres.
Any change would not be put in place until July, so would not affect the 3913 households who have just been sent a bill or others that will receive one before July.
The council said on Tuesday the average bill is $78 and the highest is $264.87.
Council chief financial officer Leah Scales said bills had already been sent out and any indication that the charge was changing next year would affect the council’s ability to recover that debt.
She said raising the limit to 900 litres would cost the council $641,000 this coming year and shift the burden of excess water use to all ratepayers, instead of those using the additional water.
The inequity around shared meters was not accurate, Scales said, because only 194 properties out of the 25,365 with shared water meters would have received a bill – less than 1% of the total.
Scales said the council planned to install individual meters in those properties first.
Councillors who voted to increase the limit were: Kelly Barber, Celeste Donovan, James Gough, Victoria Henstock, Yani Johanson, Aaron Keown, Sam MacDonald, Marks Peters and mayor Phil Mauger.
Those to vote against: deputy mayor Pauline Cotter, Melanie Coker, Tyrone Fields, Tyla Harrison-Hunt, Jake McLellan, Andrei Moore, Tim Scandrett and Sara Templeton.
Deputy mayor Pauline Cotter said revisiting the water charge was like “deja vu all over again” and 900 litres was almost double the average use of 540 litres.
“We’ve not even given this a chance to bed in. We have not given homeowners a chance to adopt practices to conserve.”
MacDonald said he would prefer to remove the charge altogether, but staff told him that was not possible during this draft budget process.
He said it was now up to the public to tell the council what they wanted.
A number of other last minute amendments were made to the draft budget including a move proposed by Henstock not to begin construction of the contentious Wheels to Wings cycleway for 12 months while staff and councillors work with affected communities on the detailed design.
Henstock failed in a similar bid last week after cycling advocates pushed for it to continue.
However, she received enough support from her fellow councillors on Tuesday (11 votes to six) after council transport head Lynette Ellis said the additional consultation could be done without causing delays because no major physical works were planned this year anyway.
Cotter, Coker, Donovan, McLellan, Moore and Templeton voted against this.
The council also decided, following a push by Donovan, to bring forward $300,000 to make improvements to New Brighton Mall, to support a $2.5 million community initiative in the area.
McLellan was successful in getting the council to consult on changes to the way rates are calculated via the uniform annual general charge. He wants the fixed charge reduced from $145 to $50, which he said would reduce the rates burden on lower income households.
Mauger said the proposed budget had been drafted against a tough backdrop of increases in interest rates, inflation and insurances. He said it went some way to take pressure off people’s cost of living while still providing the services the community wanted.
During last year’s election campaign, Mauger promised a 3% to 4% rates increase, but on Tuesday he said while it was looking possible last year, it was not any more due to inflation.
He said Christchurch’s proposed rates increase would be among the lowest in New Zealand, with a number of councils proposing increases in excess of 10%.
Join Emile Donovan and Imogen Wells for your daily dose of exclusives, analysis and fresh perspectives on news.
The podcast drops each weekday from 6am on newsable.co.nz or listen on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your pods.
It's time to make their day in return! There's been hundreds of incredible nominations in this year's Prospa Local Business Hero Awards already - but have we got yours?
Give your favourite local business owner the recognition they deserve by nominating them in the … View moreIt's time to make their day in return! There's been hundreds of incredible nominations in this year's Prospa Local Business Hero Awards already - but have we got yours?
Give your favourite local business owner the recognition they deserve by nominating them in the 2023 Prospa Local Business Hero Awards including a incredible package worth $10,000. Just share a few words about why they make your community a better place to live.
Your favourite local will thank you!
With universities starting up last week, so brings first-time flatters trying their hand at cooking for the first time. In 2020, 27% of a household’s weekly budget was spent on takeaways so it’s no wonder that cooking is becoming a bit of a lost art.
Alongside sewing and knitting, what other … View moreWith universities starting up last week, so brings first-time flatters trying their hand at cooking for the first time. In 2020, 27% of a household’s weekly budget was spent on takeaways so it’s no wonder that cooking is becoming a bit of a lost art.
Alongside sewing and knitting, what other vital skills do you think are at risk of being lost?
Share your thoughts below for the We Say You Say column in the local paper - write NFP if you want your comments excluded.
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